Retrouvaille
by screamingukulelerapboy
Summary: Retrouvaille: (n.) the joy of meeting or finding someone again after long separation; rediscovery. Vivienne Sibyll and Arno Dorian make the most dangerous, most feared duo in the Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins. As Vivienne's personal vendettas catch up to her, will she live to tell her story or will she die trying to set things right?


**Retrouvaille**

**translations: **

**_Bonjour: Hello (formal)  
Monsieur: Mister, Sir  
Petit(e): little/small  
Renard: fox  
Baise: fuck _**

"_Will you vow to stay loyal to the Brotherhood? Whatever may happen, you must never be caught. If you want to stay alive, I suggest you draw the least amount of attention to yourself and do as you're told to."_

"_I will."_

"_Very well. The Creed will keep you under it's protection and will be here for when needs be."_

I sat on the perch of a window in the Creed, twirling the bronze locket that hung from a silver chain that my father had given me with a picture of my mother on one side, and a family portrait on the opposing. He told me to keep it close whenever I needed someone, when the maid's weren't enough to keep me cheery, when the servant's weren't enough to keep me happy, when not even my limited friends could get me out of my room on the brightest of summer days.

Mother died when I was merely a young adolescent. Disease got the best of her and I was hardly able to see her for a good 2 or 3 years of my life. From the files that I stole, she reportedly had been poisoned from a source that was yet to be discovered. My elder brother, Alistair, had disappeared from us soon after his 18th birthday with no other explainable reason to us. My father and I fled to France, little had I known that the British Assassins were tracking him, along with anyone- including myself- associated with him, and began a new life to try and escape whatever they were after. It worked for quite a while, until one day where it seemed to be a flash and all of a sudden the manor had been ambushed, my father dragged out bloody and lifeless while I had been walking around the streets with my dear friend Arno Dorian. I remember returning to the manor only to find the police scoping the place like there was a war.

"_Father? Father!" I called out, taking Arno's hand in mine and parading through the panicked building. _

"_Vivienne, over here!" Arno announced, pulling my arm the other way towards a crowd of people forming in a circle in what was the hallway that led to the bedrooms._

I released Arno's hand from my and pushed through the crowd to see my father lying on his back in a pool of his own blood, the crimson liquid dripping from, what appeared to be, a clean slice on his neck. I was pulled away by various adults due to my uproar of anger and utmost sorrow, Arno quick to follow behind me.

I wiped the tear that I hadn't noticed from my cheek with the back of my hand and ran my fingers through my short dark brown hair.

I kept it short for one reason and one reason only. It was practical and wouldn't get in the way during an important mission, or just a mission in general. Asides from the fact that I liked it and it suited me quite well, it was easy to tend to and wouldn't need anything holding it back when in battle.

My thoughts and time to reminiscent in my memories was cut short by a brief, but stern knock against the wall. I turned my head to reveal Arno fully robed and leaning against the frame of the door, arms crossed and a smirk tainting his expression.

"Bonjour Monsieur." I said smugly, hopping down from the ledge and approaching the man who was considerably taller than I.

"Oh I do love it when you speak French." He replied jokingly.

I let out a breathy laugh. "Anything new, Arno? Or is this just an invite to roam the city in search of criminals and thieves?" I asked him.

"Yes, actually. There's an assassination I've been assigned and I wouldn't mind having someone alongside me. Plus we can put an end to mischief along the way." He informed.

"Am I allowed to tag along this time, or is this going to get us in trouble again? I told you next time we get caught doing something we're not supposed to, we'll both go down in rank, which I'm sure you wouldn't want."

"Don't worry, petite renard, all is well and no trouble will come our way from the Brotherhood. Now, I'd like to kindly ask you to prepare yourself quickly, we're running a tad late as is." He reassured me.

"Of course, I'll meet you in the front foyer." I vowed, before we went our separate ways.

I strode to the wardrobe in my fairly decent sized room. I pulled out black robes, a black corset that was made to not be as tight as some of the corsets you'd see along the streets, some black trousers, my waist belt and other various pieces of my outfit. I put everything on as quickly as I could and slid my sword into its sheath. I put my pistol into the holster and buckled up my boots. I concluded by draping my violet cape over my shoulders. I left the room and glided my way through the Creed, eventually finding myself at the front doors to see Arno waiting patiently.

"You look as dangerous as ever, I see." He complimented.

"Why thank you, Arno, I do try to strike fear in the eyes of all who see me." I added.

"Fear _and_ awe." Arno corrected.

"Hm?"

"I mean, look at you. By far one of the most beautiful things anyone could ever lay an eye on. Even then, they have a privilege to."

I smiled and flipped my hood up to mask my face- along with the heated pink that was quickly appearing on my cheeks. Arno flipped his hood up as well while we walked out the exit and into the broad daylight. We darted along the sand line, finding a perfect point to climb the wall when we came upon some barrels to help us up. I followed behind Arno as he took the lead, directing the both of us through the crowded streets until it was due we make to the roofs.

Once we found a safe, out of plain sight place to get a better view of Paris.

"What _exactly_ are we looking for, love?" I asked him, drawing my eyebrows together as I obliviously scanned the completely normal looking scene.

"A small group of Templars have been witnessed and we're to take care of the situation. Also to gain information of the rest of them, I suppose." Arno answered, scoping the city.

"Ah. So how do we go about this? Sneak through the city and blend in with the civilians, or continue on the roofs?" I asked.

"Well seeing as we've been doing well so far on the roofs, we shall continue that way. Stay close though and be careful for any guards who may be roaming the roofs. We'll be entering restricted areas, surely." He stated. "How do you suppose we attack? Go in from above, or make our ways underground?"

"Well.." I paused, taking a moment to create some sort of strategy. "I say we go through tunnels as if they have guns, which surely they'll have no short supply, it poses an easier fight then to worry about bullets and being suspended in the air."

"I've trained you well, petite renard." Arno said warmly, gazing into my eyes.

"That you did, my love." I countered, sending him a smile as I returned the stare.

He let out somewhat of a contempt sigh before further speaking. "I'd love to just sit here and admire such a beautiful work of art, but we have work to do." He said rather disappointedly.

I nodded slowly. "That we do. Maybe after we can take our time getting back to the Creed and just wander?" I proposed as we jumped from the perch we were on.

"That's a wonderful idea, I'm sure our Brother's won't notice us gone for too long."

I smiled as I trailed behind Arno along a rope that connected house to house. We climbed, jumped and ran until we found the Templar's temporary hide out.

"Sneak behind a few of them and take them out. If you get caught, I'll be right behind you. Don't fret, petite renard." Arno whispered into your ear as the two of you took cover behind a wall that opened into a big room full of maybe 12 guards roaming the area.

I nodded and swiftly swapped cover to a post in the room and took out the guard leaning up against it. Arno watched me as I took out maybe 4 guards until I was spotted.

"Hey! You there!" The angered voice boomed as several guards swarmed towards me.

I looked at Arno and gave him a quick nod before he rolled in the set off a smoke bomb, disorienting the guards. We managed to take out the weak ones, but 3 of the more built ones were too much for Arno and I, so we were left to run and find cover. We accidentally stumbled into the room full of Templars and I could hear Arno cursing in French under his breath. Arno started to swing his sword at the Templars and I finished off the brute force as best as I could, leaving them squirming on the ground, groaning in pain. Arno couldn't face this many Templars alone so I quickly ran up behind the one attacking him and rammed my sword into his back. The two of us faced the group, picking them off the list one by one, that is until there was a sharp pain erupting from my leg. I let out a small yelp and looked down to see that one of those bastards had shot me in the leg.

"Vivienne?" Arno called, concern in his tone.

I turned and stuck the blade into his neck and listening to the curdling sounds of the Templar choking on his own blood as he fell to the ground. Arno finished off the last Templar and turned to see what had happened to me.

"What did he do to you?" Arno asked angrily, looking over my body at my slightly torn robes. He saw the blood that began to leak through the pants on my calf. "_Baise_, are you alright? Will you make it back or will you need more assistance? I can go back for help while you wait-"

"Arno, I should be okay." I reassured him before limping forward.

"At least let me help you." He insisted, slipping his arm around my waist to help steady my balance.

Slowly but surely, we found our way back to what we assassins would consider home, and Arno immediately called for help once we got through the doors.

"What's the problem?" The assassin who I considered to be my friend, Daniel, asked as he came into sight.

"She needs help. She was shot in the leg and she's losing quite a bit of blood." Arno instructed as he brought me to Daniel, who carried me to a clear table.

I let my head fall back as it hung off the edge of the table and just concentrated on making the pain a bit more tolerable, much to its difficulty.

"Stay with me, petite renard, you will be fine after, no more pain. Just stay awake, alright?" Arno encouraged pleadingly.

I couldn't force any words out of my mouth even if my life depended on it, which may be the case, because I soon found myself drifting further and further from consciousness as the pain emitting from my leg overtook my senses.

Once I awoke, my setting had changed completely from how I last imagined it. I was now im my bedroom, which was being dimly lit by a candle on the table beside my bed. I let my eyes adjust to the light and peered around the room from my bed, when they landed on a figure in the corner sat in the chair to my desk.

"Arno?" I asked quietly.

He lifted his head from his hand which was supporting him on the desk and rubbed his eyes open.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I awoke you." I apologized. "I'm sure you're exhausted and you need sleep, you really did not need to stay to make sure I was okay. You need to sleep, love." I babbled on.

"Vivienne, it was my choice to guard you in your time of need. My sleep is much less important than the current state of your health. Speaking of, how do you feel?" He asked, changing the topic.

"It hurts still. Not as much as it did previously, but it's throbbing right now, I guess you could say. I wouldn't want to try and move it to tell you that, so I'll tell you how that goes once I have to get up again." I said, letting a breathy laugh escape my lips as I tried to add humor to this otherwise serious conversation.

"You'll be resting until you're recovered enough. Master's orders, my love. Can't risk further injuring one of the best assassins this Creed has at it's disposal." Arno smirked from the corner.

"Come sit over here. It's hard for me to see your handsome face from the dark corner." I invited, gesturing my hand to the empty space next to me on the bed.

Arno and I had always had this flirty kind of relationship. We were definitely more than friends but not going with each other. It wasn't recommended two assassins fall in love with each other, too dangerous, but it was in fact better than an assassin and a commoner falling in love because we all knew very well that anyone we came close to could potentially get hurt- and a commoner hardly ever survives.

Arno approached the bed and carefully sat down, cautious of my leg. I sat up slowly so I could be at face to face level with Arno and leaned my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me and held me closely against his side.

"I worry about you a lot." He sighed. "You do all of these dangerous missions alone and I'm always worried that you'll arrive hurt, or not arrive at all."

"Arno, hardly any missions are overly dangerous, and I'm well trained thanks to you, so you have nothing to worry about." I comforted. "Please don't worry about me, my love. Worry about the missions, worry about yourself. I shouldn't be of your concern."

He looked at me and met my stare. "That's where we see differently, petite renard, I can't _help_ but to worry about your wellbeing. It seems to be that you're all I ever think about now a days."

I only sighed, not knowing what to say. He shouldn't have to worry about me, but then again it's comforting. I just don't want him to ever be distracted by me whilst performing an assassination and then to make mistakes. It's too high risked.

"Arno-"

"Petite renard, please just let me worry. It's alright." Arno shushed, trying to calm me.

"Arno.. It's dangerous." I said finally.

He just looked into my eyes, maybe looking for something that I didn't know, but his expression seemed calm and tranquil, and I didn't want to ruin it. I watched as he picked his hand off of his lap and bring it up to my cheek as he ran his thumb over a cut left by a guard's sword under my eye. His hands gently moved down to my jaw, where his two fingers angled my head up to his and slowly he brought our lips together. Our kiss could barely be as there was an abrupt knock at my door. Arno pulled away quickly and pretended to be adjusting the bandaged wrapped around my lower leg.

"Come in!" I called for the door.

Bellec opened the door and walked into the room. "How are you doing, Vivienne?" He asked calmly.

"Fine, fine. Arno is just fixing the bandage a bit, wasn't tight enough and I felt it come loose a bit from sleeping." I answered.

"That's good, very good. I was told to bring you something to eat to help get your blood sugar back up, so I brought you some oatmeal-"

"And some wine I see?" Arno intercepted, his eyebrow peaking as he examined the tray.

"A little wine never hurt anyone." Bellec sighed, passing the silver tray of food to me. I placed it on the table beside me and thanked him before he left the room.

I took the glass of wine and brought it to my lips, allowing my mouth to experience another kind of red liquid today other than my own blood. Ones I had finished about half of the drink, I handed it to Arno.

"Non." He answered. "This is yours."

"Yes, but I want to share it with you." I argued back playfully.

He only sighed and took the cup from my hands and taking a drink from it.

"I suppose I'm going to go back to my quarters now. I'm awfully tired and you need to rest still. Can't have our best assassin out of the game for too long, right?" He told me, standing from the bed.

"There's nothing wrong with you though?" I smirked.

He chuckled. "I meant you, Madame."

"I know, but you're the best assassin around. No argument there." I finished.

He placed a quick kiss on my forehead before vanishing from my room to his own. I finished eating the rest of the oatmeal and set it back on the tray that was on the nightstand and I carefully stood from the bed, allowing myself to move my legs and also to put on my nightwear. Once I had done so, I slid myself back under the covers of my bed and tucked myself in. I blew out the candle and laid my head back against the pillow, hoping this sleep wouldn't cause me any pain and or frustration.


End file.
